The Midnight Cry
by crittle247
Summary: Jesse gets very ill after a mission and no one can find the cure. Someone from the past is seeking revenge, will they succesed? Death is knocking and he isn't leaving empty handed.
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter One**

"**Pain in the present is experienced as hurt,**

**Pain in the past is remembered as anger."**

**-Gaelic Proverb**

In a rundown part of a town in eastern Canada, stood a one story abandoned warehouse, which had been home to a profitable business that was now long forgotten. The afternoon light shown though the broken glass windows creating beams of light in the dusty air. The cracks and corners of the walls had became home to many creatures and birds; the cement floors were stained with stale water that had pooled from leaks in the deteriorating ceiling; and the distinct smell of dust and urine filled the thick air. In the mist of all that, two shadows walked carelessly together though the skeleton building, one shadow towering over the other.

The shadows arrived in the center of the warehouse, the most lighted place, revealing the details of the dark figures. They were men, both in their late twenties; the taller one had a gray beanie covering his shaggy black hair that just reached his neck, his broad shoulders held a long dark brown leather coat that was dusted with black and just reached his dark faded blue jean calf. The second man had dark, long feathered blonde hair that brushed his neck. He wore a sleek black leather jacket that stopped at his hips just above where his black pants started.

The shorter man lifted his right hand to his head to scratch a spot just behind his ear. Light hit his hand and bounced off of a thick sliver ring on his ring finger. He let out a sigh, "Why is it, that we always get stuck with these no show missions?" His voice echoed through the void of the warehouse. He let his hand fall as he turned to face the taller man. "I mean you never hear of Shal or Emma having to wait in these run down places for hours."

"I don't like it any more than you; but Adam thought it would be better for us to meet this new mutant because he's male." The taller man stated, his voice merely hinting at his own frustration of the whole situation.

"Well if I was him, I would prefer to go anywhere with two hot chicks, instead of a couple of men." Jesse Kilmartin flashed a perfect white tooth filled smile at his partner.

Brennan Mulwray just smirked before he scanned the place again with his dark eyes. "I think we've waited long enough, this guy isn't coming. Let's get out of this dump." Brennan started to walk toward the exit with Jesse right behind him, both men staying on the lookout for the new mutant. Once they got outside, they both took a deep breath of fresh air. Brennan lifted his right hand close to his mouth, his thumb touching the side of a sliver ring that matched the one the blonde wore in the same place. "Hey Adam?"

"Go ahead Brennan." An older male voice replied almost instantly from the ring.

"Jess and I are heading back. The mutant was a no show." He informed their leader as he got into the driver's seat of a four door sliver Audi. Jesse shrugged off his jacket and tossed it in the back seat leaving him in a short black sleeved shirt.

There was a pause on the other line, before Adam spoke clearly confused by the change in plans, "Okay, I'll see you when you get here."

"You know I really wish if people changed their mind about the Underground that they would at least call and let us know." Jesse complained as he got into the car. Brennan didn't wait for him to buckle his seat belt, the elemental just shifted into drive and accelerated out of the abandoned ally.

As the silver Audi drove down the long ally, a figure silhouetted from the sun behind him appeared on the roof of a building across from the warehouse. The shadow moved to the very edge and proceeded to look through a pair of black binoculars. As the binoculars followed the car, the man pulled out a walkie-talkie. "They are doing just as planned. They are coming your way."

"I see them." A static masked voice replied on the radio followed by a click.

"He's in the passenger seat."

"Roger that." The radio went dead and with one more look though the binoculars, the man disappeared off the roof, just as the sky turned bright orange an explosion echoed through the empty ally. Birds flew away with a fearful cry and the few buildings in the ally trembled in the shock wave as nearby parked cars let out a chorus of horns in alarm. Yet in a black limo three blocks from the ally, a small monitor in the back played the explosion. And in a cloud of cigar smoke, an evil smile of delight appeared.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

"So what do you say about heading to a club to salvage what we have left of our day?" Brennan suggested as he drove down the alley way.

Jesse was slouched in the passenger seat; his elbow was rested on the door as he had his hand outside the open window, drumming the top of the roof. "Sure. Sounds like a plan."

"Adam." Brennan called through his com-link again. "Jess and I--"

"See if the girls want to meet us there." Jesse whispered to the driver as he was talking with Adam.

"--are heading to a--" Brennan was cut off when an explosion appeared in front of the car. He slammed on the breaks and tried to swerve around the fire and smoke. However when the shock wave hit the car, the men were tossed like rag dolls even with their seat belts on. Before they knew it they were heading straight for a brick wall, then everything went black.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Adam was walking out of the lab when Brennan called him for the second time. He heard him mention that the two were heading somewhere before a loud explosion cut him off. Adam froze in fear as he heard tires screeching and the two men yelling loudly before another sound of a crash. "Brennan? Jesse?" There was no response only static filled the feed.

"Adam what the hell was that?" Shalimar almost demanded as she and Emma ran from the Dojo. The sound of the blast had echoed out of Adam's ring loudly enough for Shalimar to hear with her feral hearing; and the fear from the older man was strong enough for Emma to feel.

"Something happened with the guys. Go take the Helix and head to the warehouse now!" Before he could even finish his sentence, Emma and Shalimar were running down the long hallway towards the hanger which housed a sleek state of the art jet.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Brennan slowly opened his dark brown eyes and for a second he thought that he was in the passenger seat, for how else could he be sleeping in a moving car? But as the haze from his mind cleared he noticed that this was not the case. His ears were ringing loudly while his head and rest of his body hurt like he had just rolled down a steep hill. He moved the deflated air bag out of his way so he could unbuckle his seat belt, but in doing so caused a puff of white smoke to fly up in his face.

He cleared his lungs of the white powder as he waved his hands to clear the smoke from the air, and then he saw it. He was staring at a brick wall with dark smoke was rising in front of the car. _'That can't be good.' _Adenine started pumping though his veins, they needed to get out of the car and fast. He looked over at the passenger seat to see if Jesse was okay, but he found the other man leaning as far forward as his locked seat belt would let him, with his head hanging.

"Jesse, wake up." Brennan said pushing him back against the seat. As Jesse fell back his head flopped and rested on the head rest. It was then that Brennan noticed blood dripping down his forehead beneath his golden blonde bangs. "Damn-it." He cursed softly. He brought his right hand up and spoke into his ring. "Adam?"

"Brennan, thank god. What happened?" Adam's voice was filled with relief as he let out a sigh that made it sound as if he had been holding his breath since the explosion.

"I don't know. We crashed into a wall; Jesse is unconscious and bleeding from a head wound." He answered as he cut Jesse's seat belt with his pocket knife, before doing the same to his.

"Shalimar and Emma should be there shortly with the Helix. Are you okay?"

Brennan let out a short cough due to the smoke before answering, "Yeah, I just got a bit of a headache, and I'm sure going to be hurting tomorrow. I think we need a new car." He joked, ending the link.

After a little struggle, Brennan got out of the car and he realized that he was in a lot more pain than he thought, it was more like a rocky hill that he rolled down. The elemental looked around to see what might have caused the accident only to find a reasonable sized smoking hole in the trashed ally. He walked around the now shorter car to get Jesse out, trying to think on how he could to it without hurting the man anymore, not knowing the extent of younger man's possible injuries.

It took Brennan a while to free his partner from the wreck, the door was smashed shut and his hurting muscles had a hard time prying the door open. Thankfully, he managed to carefully drag Jesse away from the car without it bursting into the flames he was afraid of. Just when he got Jesse a safe distance from the damaged car, Brennan felt a strong booted foot jab him right below the shoulder blades. The sudden and unsuspected attack forced Brennan to stumble forward, dropping Jesse's limp body on the hard asphalt. He managed to regain balance before he could fall flat on his face.

He turned around just in time to block another kick that came to his head, with his forearm. The man kept throwing punches and kicks at Brennan, who was having trouble blocking them all. The mystery man never let up keeping the mutant on the defense. Still being disoriented by the accident, Brennan wasn't at his full game and that pissed him off not being able to shoot lighting at this man. During the fight Brennan was unaware that the mysterious man forced Brennan back around to the driver's side of the car, separating the two mutants. Out of nowhere a foot made contact with Brennan's jaw. The sudden blow sent him to the ground and to make sure that he wasn't going to be getting up anytime soon, the man punched him once again in the face knocking Brennan out.

The man wasted no time, he ran over to Jesse who was still unconscious lying on his side on the other side of the car. He grabbed the young man's arm, pulling it straight out causing to revile a light blue vain to show in the crook of his arm. He pulled out a syringe and jabbed it in the vain and proceeded to inject a neon yellow liquid in the mutant. Jesse let out a soft groan and slightly moved but the man wasn't worried, the liquid was gone, the syringe was back in his pocket and just as he came, the mysterious man left totally unnoticed.

Just then a dark gray jet landed in the alley coming straight down from the black smoked sky. A ramp folded down and two women came running out of the plane. One was just a few inches taller than the other and she had short layered brown hair with light brown highlights. She was wearing a low cut red shirt that made her light skin even fairer, and a pair of lose fitting black pants that were a little too long for they were covering her flip flopped feet. The slightly shorter woman had long golden blonde layered hair that came down to her shapely chest. She had a nice warm tanned skin that almost made her well defined muscles glow. She had on a short sleeved cream shirt that looked like it was a size to small as it bundled up reliving her slightly washed board abs, her faded dark blue jeans clung tightly to her hips just adding to the sexiness that this woman had. Emma DeLauro and Shalimar Fox ran to Brennan but both were in shock to see the car with its new brick wall hood ordainment and the dying flames of that explosion that Shalimar heard. Brennan was slowly coming to when they reached him.

"What the hell happened?" Shalimar asked as she helped Brennan to his feet.

"I honestly don't know. Just as I pulled Jesse out of the car, some guy came out of nowhere an attacked me." Brennan reported, frustration clearly in his voice as he rubbed his throbbing jaw.

"There is nobody here." Shal replied her eyes turned yellow as she used her feral senses. "He must have heard us coming."

"Where's Jesse?" Emma asked as she looked around the chaos. Before Brennan could answer, they heard a muffle moan followed by a "crap" on the other side of the car. They all ran around the car to see Jesse slowly turn over onto his back and immediately touched his forehead. His hand had came upon a warm wet substance and another "crap" came from his lips.

"Oh my god, Jesse!" Shalimar gasped when she got a good look at her surrogate brother. With some help from the others Jesse sat up, as he did so he brought his hand down to eye level, only to see blood covering his hand. Emma looked around trying to find something to use to cover the wound. It was Brennan's black beanie that caught her green eyes. She jumped up in order to rip it off his head.

"Hey!" Brennan protested but Emma ignored him and placed it on Jesse's forehead. However when the cotton fabric touched the open wound, he let out a scream pushing her hand and the beanie away.

"Jesse I need to stop the bleeding."

"Well it hurts Emma." Jesse replied sharply. Shalimar gently pushed Emma out of the way as she crouched in front of Jesse and got very to his face, which made him feel a little uneasy. Without any warning, she pulled out a piece of glass from the cut.

"DAMNIT SHALIMAR FOX! That really hurts!" Jesse shouted.

"Emma hand me that beanie." She said acting like Jesse didn't say anything. Once she had the beanie she put pressure on the wound. Jesse tried to move away but Shalimar grabbed the back of his neck with her free hand. He shot a look of annoyance to the feral, causing her to smile.

"Hey let's get going." Brennan said knowing that cops would be coming soon, though he was surprised that no one had already shown up, "Jess, can you walk?"

"I hurt my head, not my legs." Jesse replied as he took Shalimar's hand, and got up with help from her and Brennan. Shalimar put the benne back agents the molecular forehead, where he replaced his hand for his. The four of them started walking to the Helix, however a few steps Jesse's head started to spin and he started to lose his balance. Brennan noticed that he was swaying so he walked over to him.

"You okay bro?" The elemental asked as he put a hand behind the young man's shoulder.

"Yeah, I think I just lost some blood." His blue eyes moved up to the right as if pointing to the bleeding gash.

"You think?" Brennan said with a smile. The girls were already in the Helix when Brennan and Jesse started walking again. But as they got closer to the plane, Jesse started to see spots dancing mockly in front of his fading vision. He lost his hearing when high pitched ringing sound that seemed to be in a wind tunnel, replaced it. His body cried out in a new kind of pain, it felt like fire was moving though his veins. His knees buckled and he thought he heard Brennan call his name but it sounded so far away and so muffle. It was like somebody messed with the audio speed to the slowest setting. That was the last thing he remembered before his world went black.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Voices, voices that sounded like they were coming from inside a tin can, _'Why is that always the first thing?' _Jesse thought, _'Can I just wake up without people talking around me?'_ But slowly a throbbing that started from his head moved down his body with each beat it was like an ocean of pain as each wave grew more fierce and painful. He tired not to breath, hoping that no movement would stop the white cap waves, but it only seemed to make it worse. His blue eyes shot open as if it would save him from his drowning. But that just cased him more pain as bright lights overwhelmed his eyes. They quickly shut with a morn that was filled with a sorrowful frustration with the increasing pain.

"Hey," One of the voices that had pulled him out of the peaceful darkness spoke. He heard it continue to speak but he was unable to process the words. Yet with each mumble it became more human, a male voice, until he was able to make out the words. "Welcome back." Jesse opened one eye to see a man with black curly hair in his fifties staring down at him with dark brown eyes. His face was full of aged of worry lines, yet when the man saw the blue eye looking back at him, he smiled softly. "How are you feeling?"

"Like crap." He bluntly replied squinting at the older man. It took a few blinks before his eyes adjusted to the lights. He then realized that he was in the lab, with the whole team standing around the blue chair that he had always swore Adam must have bought off a demented dentist. Adam left his side momentarily before returning with a small metal pen shaped tube and put the end agents Jesse's arm. With one push of a button, Jesse felt a slight prick before the storm like waves died down to a steady roll. "What happened?" he asked, clearly confused.

"You passed out on us." Brennan smiled, even though when he saw his brother fall in the ally his heart had stopped.

Jesse squirmed around in the chair trying to find a comfortable position, but could not find one, "Why?"

"We were in a car accident." The elemental said in a matter of fact way, but from the blank look on the young man's face he didn't remember. "There was an explosion. We crashed into a wall. The cover of your air bag hit you in the head."

"And a nice piece of glass got stuck in your forehead. You were bleeding pretty bad." Shalimar added, remembering all that blood that was socked up by Brennan's beanie and that had been on his face.

Jesse moved his hand up to his forehead where he felt a piece of gauze as the memory of earlier came back. "Oh." Was all he said as he was wrapped up in trying to figure out why that all happened. But he wasn't the only one; everybody around him was also wondering that same thing.

"But what caused the explosion?" Emma asked bring the question out in the open as if she read their minds.

"I don't know." Adam said honesty.

"Well someone was after us, because once I got Jesse out some guy attacked me." Brennan informed as he crossed his arms.

"Really, did you get a good look at him?" Adam asked.

"I think so, that guy knew how to fight, maybe military training."

There was a pause as their leader ran the information though his mind. "Well, it's pretty late, why don't all of you get some sleep and we'll figure all of this out tomorrow." Everyone started to move towards the door, Shalimar and Adam helped Jesse off the chair and the feral stayed just a step behind the injured man in case he lost his balance. As the lab doors closed Adam sat down in a chair on the other side of the room. His mind was racing as guilt ran though his veins. How did one simple pick-up turned into an unknown attack on his team?


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two**

"**God didn't promise days without pain, **

**Laughter without sorrow, sun without rain. **

**But he did promise strength for the day, **

**Comfort for the tears and light for the way."**

**-Anonymous**

The sun was just peaking above the Rocky Mountains that protected Sanctuary, filling the sky with a warm summer glow of all shades of orange. It was one of those sun rises that would take the breath right from your lungs. Adam waited no time on calling the team for a meeting, hungry for information on yesterday. It took them twenty minutes before they were all gathered around the main computer terminals expect for Jesse. Adam had to say he was slightly annoyed that they were still waiting for the molecular, but he couldn't help but have a stab of worry for the young man.

Adam turned to Shalimar who was sitting on a chair and using Brennan's body as a back rest. "Shalimar, can you go see what's keeping Jesse?"

"Sure." She jumped off the stool and almost pranced down the hall to Jesse's room. Being really close to him, like an older sister, she always loved the chance to wake him up. When Shalimar got to his room, she knocked on the door a couple of times before calling out, "Jesse, you up?"

When he didn't respond she slowly opened the door, poking her head in. The room was dark but she could clearly see him still in bed. With a wide smile she went over to the bed. "Hey sleepy head get up." She gave the sleeping mass a friendly shove. "Jesse?"

The mass of blankets moved slightly on the bed as it spoke in a weak annoyed voice, "What?"

"Adam called a meeting twenty minutes ago. We are all waiting on you." Jesse turned over onto his back allowing Shalimar to get a good look at him and she did not like what she saw. His face was pale and clammy causing his dirty blonde hair to cling to his forehead. "Are you feeling okay?" Her voice that had started playfully teasing was now full of concern. She placed the back of her hand on his forehead being careful not to touch the white bandage on the right side of his head. "Man, Jesse, you're burning up."

"Really, I haven't noticed." He said sarcastically, sounding stronger as he was more awake.

Shalimar removed her hand and brought it up to her mouth as she spoke into the sliver ring, "Adam, you may want to come down here." Not even a minute later Adam, Brennan and Emma all came piling into Jesse's room.

"What's the matter?" Adam immediately moved to the bed his face was wrinkled with worry.

"He's really burning up." Shalimar was seated on his bed, pushing his hair back away from his face

"Brennan, can you carry him to the lab?"

"Sure." The elemental started to walk to the bed, but Jesse sat up trying to show that he was still capable on his own.

"No, I can walk there myself." Jesse said as he put his feet on the wood floor. He wanted to save what dignity he had left. He already had to be carried to the Helix because of a bump on his head, there was no way he needed help because of a little fever; but once he stood up and took a step, his knees buckled and he fell back onto the bed.

"Brennan…" Adam had to bite back a smile at Jesse's stubbornness.

"Yeah, I got him." Brennan walked over to his teammate, grabbed one of his arms putting it over his shoulder and lifted the molecular off the bed.

Brennan helped Jesse to the lab with the rest of Mutant X following right behind them. Jesse was feeling even crappier for the fact that he needed help from the elemental. The clear plexi-glass door opened and Jesse was guided straight to the blue chair that was in the center of the lab, his body shivered as he slid onto it.

Adam headed over to one of the computer counsels as Brennan walked back to the door were the two women were at. With just a few touches on the screen a box like machine attached to a track on the ceiling moved itself right over Jesse. At one more touch of the computer screen by Adam two translucent blue lines of light, stretching across the width of the chair, beamed down on Jesse's waist then each moving different directions one heading to his feet, the other to his head. Once the two beams of light reached the ends of the chair, they started to move back to the center scanning Jesse as they went. Arriving back at their starting point the machine gave a little beep before the blue light disappeared and the sliver box moved back to its home in the wall.

Jesse waited a few minutes for Adam to read the scans results, as did everybody, before weakly asking, "So what's the damage?"

There was an exhale breath followed by a pause. "Well," Adam said "the scans show that you have just the common flu."

"But, I know there is a "but" in there."

"But the scans are also showing an anomaly in your blood."

"Anomaly?" Emma spoke up. But Adam didn't answer; he just took a syringe off the nearby counter and went over to Jesse. Adam grabbed his right arm and was about to take some blood but he paused. Jesse noticed Adam's delay and looked at the older man and saw him staring at his arm.

"What is it Adam?" curiously filled his voice.

"There looks like there is a puncture mark on your arm." The three other mutants moved to Adam in one fluid motion to see what their leader was talking about.

"Jesse, did you feel anything prick your arm when you were waiting for the new mutant?" Shalimar wondered.

"No."

"What about after the car accident?" Brennan spoke up for the first time.

"I was out cold, until you guys came." Jesse motioned to Shalimar and Emma. Adam proceeded to take blood as the blood filled the small vile, Jesse had a strange feeling wash over him. Emma sensed his uncertainly or more like de ja vu.

"What is it Jesse?"

"I think I may have felt something after the explosion like a pinch which I think is what got me to wake up. But everything was, is pretty fuzzy."

The team was silent as Adam ran Jesse's blood. It felt like an eternity before the computer finally gave out a beep. All attention turned to the small monitor as Adam checked the results. "The blood work shows that you are trying to fight some sort of chemical." The mentor stated.

"Chemical?" Jesse coughed out.

"Yes."

"What kind of chemical?" Shalimar unconsciously moved closer to Jesse's side.

"I won't know until I do some more tests."

"That's always comforting." Jesse said under his breath

"So what do we do in the mean time?" Brennan asked.

"You and Shalimar try and see if you can find out who's behind the attack." Adam directed. "Start by going back to the warehouse and see if you can find anything that would help. Emma I'll need your help here in the lab."

"Okay." Brennan and Shalimar said as they headed out of the lab.

"What would you like me to do?" Emma asked Adam as she moved over to the older man.

"I'll need another sample of blood." He was already focusing on the computer screens trying to think of what tests he should be running to find out this chemical. He stopped and turned to Emma. "Make that two samples."

"What can I do?" The horse voice of Jesse made the two heads turn to him.

"You can lie there and let Emma take blood from you." Adam said turning back to the computers

"But I can work the computers," Jesse pushed on the arm rest to help him sit up. "Help Brennan and Shal find this bast-"

"No you are going to stay in that chair and rest."

"Adam I can still-"

"Jesse, why do you always fight me on things like this?" The older man turned around and walked over to the sick mutant to make sure he was heard clearly. "You have been hanging around Brennan far too much. You are sick, you are fighting an unknown chemical that I have no idea what it could do to you. So you are going to stay here in this lab until I know what is in your system." Adam strongly stated making no room for any more arguments.

"Fine." Jesse said like a disappointed child as he fell back into the chair, crossing his arms across his chest. Emma smiled as she walked over to him; she just stared at him like she was waiting for him to say something. "What Emma?" he asked being somewhat not amused by this smiling stare down.

"I need your arm." She held back a laugh.

"Oh," he sheepishly untwined his arms and held his right one straight out, "Right I knew that." The lab was quite as Emma drew blood; expect for the quite beeps and hums of the computers and the muffle coughs that Jesse tried to hold back.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

The sun was climbing its slow ascent into the sky. The higher it went, that orange morning sky burned off into a clear blue backdrop. A black mustang ripped around a corner into an ally and sided to a stop just shy of the old warehouse. Shalimar and Brennan got out of the mustang and walked towards the old warehouse. They stopped and looked down the ally at the crash site. The sliver Audi that had been imbedded in the brick wall was gone and the fire long since died, both leaving just ash and rubble. The only two things that indicated there was an accident was the police report on the new saying it was a local gang that got too drunk. With no doubt it was a cover that the person behind it all set up. And then there was, of course the huge hole in the trashed street that was the center point of the explosion.

"Well I doubt there is anything at this warehouse, Jesse and I spent an hour walking around the place and there was nothing suspicious." Brennan informed Shalimar as they walked past the broken door.

"You just don't want to go back in." The blonde said with a devilish smile.

"No, I just don't want to waste time looking though a big dusty smelly building."

"Okay, we'll check that place last." She swatted him on the chest as she walked out and headed over to the destroyed wall that was a couple yards away. As they got closer, Shalimar's brown eyes changed to a bright orange-yellow enabling her to see things that are invisible or much harder to see for a normal human's eyes. Her feral senses were on high, looking and smelling for any clues. Brennan was trailing behind Shalimar waiting for her to find something.

"Where did you fight this guy?" She asked wanting the exact location so she could examine the area closer.

"Um, the car was here." Brennan pointed to the great big hole in the wall, "I went and got Jesse out and I think I was right about here when he kicked me in the back." He stood a couple feet away from the red brick building, "Then we fought back around the car--"

"I got something." Shalimar said interrupting Brennan.

"What?" The tall elemental walked over to Shal who was crouched close to the asphalt.

"Its blood and about a day old."

"How," Brennan crouched down to Shalimar's level. He had to really stare at the dark ground before he was able to see the blood she spoke of. "I don't think I've even got a shot at him. Are you sure that it's not Jesse's?"

"I'm sure."

"It's pretty thin Shal, could be nothing." The elemental stood up

"This is all we got. I can't sense anything else." She pulled out a q-tip and swabbed at the blood. When she could get all she could, she snapped on a plastic cap over the tip and stood up. "Let's hope that Adam can get something from this."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Just shortly after Emma had taken blood from Jesse, she helped him fall into a relatively painless sleep. She had gotten a cool wet cloth and wiped the feverish sweat from his face. Adam had been trying to identify the chemical, but after countless failed test and a few long hours, he was losing his nerve quickly.

"Adam have you found anything yet?" Emma asked as she walked next to him, as she finished changing the gaze on Jesse's forehead.

"No, there is nothing that can identify this chemical or if there is even a cure."

"So you didn't find anything that would help Jesse?"

"No, but I was able to get a list of what the symptoms could possibly be, however it's not good. His fever will get dangerously high, chills and muscle aches will get worse, coughing and vomiting most likely will accrue."

"It sounds like a bad cause of the flu, are you positive Jesse doesn't have it."

"Very positive."

"Is there anything that we can do?"

"At the moment I am as clueless as you are." Adam let out a defeating sigh as his hand came up and rubbed the inside of his eyes. Silence fell over the lab; Emma kept looking between the two men with the total feeling of helplessness.

Just then the lab doors opened and Brennan and Shalimar almost jogged into the lab with rays of hope shining from their faces. "We got something." Shalimar said holding up the q-tip. But both mutants stopped dead when they saw the dreaded looks of the other teammates.

"What is it?" Brennan's voice was lased with worry.

"Jesse's fever will get worse so will the coughing and it will get to the point of throwing up." Emma informed the two. "And Adam is positive that he doesn't have the flu."

"And there is-"

"No." Adam said cutting Shalimar off knowing what she was going to ask.

"What will happen if we don't find a cure?" Brennan asked the question that no one was brave enough to say.

Adam paused, he really did not want to tell them but he could not lie about this, "If we don't find a cure he could die."

As if he did it on cue, Jesse woke up as violent coughs tore through his body. Everyone jumped from the horrible sounds and from the realizing that Jesse was in a world of pain if they could not find a cure. Jesse let out another string of coughs that shook Shalimar out of her frozen state. She bolted out of the lab with cat like speed and she returned shortly with a bottle of water that she opened it and gave the bottle to Jesse.

"Than--thanks Shal." He took the bottle of water and drank it slowly. The cold water put out the itchy fire that consumed his throat. Jesse relaxed as the coughing stopped and enjoyed the cold silk moving down his throat till it fell into his stomach. "Adam" his voice was so horsed and broken that it almost pained him. "Can I please go back to my room?" He pleaded not really wanting to spend the rest of the night in that cold uncomfortable chair. He wanted nothing more than to be in the comfort of his own nice soft warm bed.

"Sure." Adam said without a second thought. It broke his heart to see one of his children in so much physical pain. He stood back and watched as Shalimar helped Jesse get off the chair and the two of them walked slowly out of the lab with Emma right behind them. Once the Plexiglas doors slid closed, Adam turned to Brennan whose brown eyes were still locked on the door. "So what did you find?"

"Oh, right." Brennan snapped out of his thoughts and faced Adam, "Um Shal found some blood where I was attacked and she is sure that it isn't Jesse's or mine."

"You sound skeptical." Adam took the swab that Brennan held out and went to one of the computers with the mutant following behind.

"Well I don't remember hitting the guy let alone enough to make him bleed."

"I'll run it and hopefully it will match. Why don't you try to recreate what the attacker looked like then run it though the military database and to find the guy that way."

"Okay" Brennan headed out of the lab to the computers out in the main room.

Emma walked back into the lab moments after Brennan had left. She saw Adam moving from computer to computer, test tube to test tube. "What can I do?" She asked.

Adam looked up for a second before turning his attention back to the monitor. "Where is Shalimar?"

"She's sitting by Jesse's side very set on staying with him."

"Good. You can run this blood that she and Brennan found in the ally and find out who it belongs to." Adam pointed to a vile by a nearby computer. She headed over to it and the two people worked in silence.

After hitting its peak for a couple hours, the sun started to fall taking the bright sky along with it and leaving red streaks in its wake. Brennan had made a 3D computer sketch the best he could of the attacker. And after a long hour got thirty five close matches. It wasn't until Emma got a DNA match on the blood when they identified their man. His name was Wayne Danielson a thirty six year old man who was a marine of the United States military. He was dishonorably discharged after one two many physical assault charges. But there was no know address or any activity on his records that would help them find him. Adam still could not find anything more on the chemical that was making Jesse sick, and he was out of ideas.

"Brennan, you stay here with Shalimar; see if she can help you figure out who hired Danielson. Emma you'll come with me."

"Where are we going?" She asked as the three of them walked out of the lab.

"An old collogue who will have fresh eyes and is more knowable on biochemical."

"Good luck." Brennan bid his fair well as he watched the two head off to the hanger bay.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Jesse's room was dark which the young mutant really appreciated compared to the lab's blinding lights. And he swore that he felt better being curled up in his soft bed then in the evil lab chair. "Shal are you going to sit there all day?" Jesse rolled over onto his side so he can face Shalimar who was seated in a chair a few feet from his bed.

"Well actually I have, you have been asleep for most of the afternoon." She smiled trying to lighten the mood, though her eyes shown through her lying façade. "How are you feeling?"

"It's hard to say," He said though a sniffle and a short cough, "So Adam said it's going to get worse?"

"Yeah, but you know he'll find the cure long before it gets that bad."

"I guess you are right." There was silence as each one prayed a prayer that Shal was right about it. A moment later he broke the quite darkness. "Hey Shal?"

"Yeah Jesse?"

"Can you get me the extra blankets that Emma brought?"

"No problem." Shalimar got up from her seat and walked over to a table were Emma had disposed of the blankets, "You cold?"

"You can say that I feel like a human popsicle." A small smile appeared on his pale face, but it quickly disappeared when his body wracked with cold shivers.

"Adam can we give Jesse anything to help with the fever and coughing?" Shalimar asked over her com-link as she pulled the extra blankets over her brother.

"No I don't know if any medication will help or make it worse." Just then Jesse started coughing with no stopping in sight. His throat was raw and dry; every time he coughed it was making the next one even worse.

Shalimar went to get some more water but when she got back, Jesse was not in his bed; instead he was in the bathroom crouched by the toilet throwing up. She ran into the room and immediately started rubbing circles on his quivering back trying to give him some comfort. When his body could only give out dry heaves, Jesse was sitting on the cold bathroom floor with his knees pulled up to his chest leaning against Shalimar who sat beside him.

"You want to go back to your bed?"

"No, right here is fine." He said patting the floor next to him, not wanting to move in fear that his stomach would act up again.

"Okay, I'll be right back." Shalimar got up and grabbed a couple of blankets and the bottle of water she had dropped and headed back into the bathroom where she gave the water to Jesse and placed the blankets on his back.

"Thanks." He said as he snuggled deeper in the blankets while taking a small sip of water.

"Jess? Shal?" They heard Brennan's voice coming from the bedroom door "Is everything okay?"

"Yeah." Jesse said softly

"Then why are you guys one the bathroom floor?" A curious smile formed on Brennan's mouth.

"Oh we were just bowing to the porcine god." Shalimar tired to keep the mood up and thankfully she saw a smile on Jesse and Brennan's grew an inch bigger. "Thanking man for its marvels."

"Speaking of men, Adam and Emma are heading to a friend of Adams who knows all about virus. And we got a hit of that blood you found, it belongs to a guy name Wayne Danielson ex-military. I'm trying to find out who he is working for."

"Why is it that we always get the 'I'm a new mutant who wants to go into the underground' trap?" Jesse said frustrated that they were played with a trick that's been used on them many times. "You would think we've learned something by now."

Brennan and Shalimar laughed a genuine laugh since two days due to Jesse's look of a five year old complying about bed times. "Shal if you can help me with the search, make it go faster." Brennan said changing the subject.

"Yeah, I'll be there in a little bit."

"Okay." Brennan walked out of the bathroom leaving the two on the cold floor.

"So Jesse what do you want to do?" Shalimar asked knowing that the cold floor wouldn't help him.

"Maybe help you guys."

"Jesse you know what Adam said-"

"Shal, you and I both know I'm the best person on a computer. If Adam is right about how this whole thing could end if he doesn't find a cure. I would like to find this bastard before I die. So, please let me help."

"Okay, need help getting up?" She caved is as she stood up.

"No, but I'm going to take a quick shower first. Maybe that would help me feel less crappy."

"I'll be with Brennan when you're done." She turned to leave but stopped at the bathroom door when Jesse called her. "Hey, Shal?"

"Yeah, Jesse?"

"Thanks." Jesse gave her a smile that wasn't forced or acted, but one from the heart.

Shalimar knew that the thanks was more than just letting him help with the search. But he did not have to say anything other than that one word. A smile that mirrored that of Jesse's came upon her face, "Anytime." The feral mutant said as she turned back to the door and headed out to meet with Brennan, leaving Jesse alone in the bathroom.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter Three**

"**A friend is someone who upon seeing another friend**

**in immense pain, would rather be the one experiencing **

**the pain than have to watch their friend suffer."**

**-Anonymous**

It was twenty minutes later when Jesse got out of the shower. He was feeling so much better than this morning; he didn't have that whole body cold aches and haven't coughed the whole time in the shower. So as far as he was concerned, it was a good day, or more like evening. He went into his room with a little bounce in his step from the good feeling. Putting on some lose fitting jeans he grabbed a white muscle shirt as he headed to the door. He started to put the shirt over his head when a sharp stabbing pain filled his body, the shirt fell as he grabbed his sides. Jesse froze as he took slow deep breaths as the pain slowly faded away. He wasn't sure what just happened but he did not like that feeling and hoped it won't come back. Yet as he bent down to get his shirt when the strange pain came back with more force; it felt as if every atom in his body was pulling apart. The pain was to much for Jesse and he collapsed on the floor, his body fading in and out while crimson red veins covered the translucent form.

"Help." Jesse managed to say his voice barely reached a whisper. "Shalimar." As the pain increased, it became harder to breathe, but he continued to call for help hoping that someone would hear him.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Shalimar and Brennan were at the computers running down every possible angle on finding who Wayne worked for. Brennan was trying to hack into this bank records while Shalimar tired past history and military friends. After twenty minutes, of non stop hacking, they were still did not find anything. The two were about to switch computers in hoping the other would catch a break when Shalimar heard a thump coming from the bed rooms.

"What is it Shal?" Brennan asked when he saw her freeze in mid motion.

"Shhh." She threw her hand up in the air as to keep Brennan from talking. Suddenly Shalimar catapulted from the chair and dashed down the hallway to Jesse's room, it took a second for Brennan to realize that Shalimar had ran off, before he to took off in her direction.

The door to Jesse's room flung open as Shalimar entered but she barely made it past the thresh hold before she came to a sudden halt. Brennan nearly ran into her but froze mere inches from her due to pure shock from the sight that lay before them. Jesse was curled up into a ball on the floor massing and phasing at the same time, his whole body shaking with pain. Shalimar snapped out of her frozen state when a muffle cry escaped from Jesse. She practically threw herself down on the floor; kneeling next to Jesse she placed a gentle hand on the side of his head, stroking his hair trying to comfort him.

"Jesse breathe, just breathe." She pleaded, while Brennan was still suck at the door way, his mind repeating _'This is not good. This is not good.'_ A few seconds after Shalimar's plea the massing veins and fading body stopped as Jesse passed out. "Adam!" She wasted no time, she shouted in to her com-link with so much fear that you didn't have to be a telepath sense it.

"Shalimar what is it?" Adam's own voice mirrored the fear that he heard from Shalimar. There was only a few accounts that he ever heard Shalimar sound so afraid, and that scarred him.

"Jesse was phasing and massing at the same time!"

"What?" He wasn't sure that he heard her right for he never thought that was even possible.

"You have to come back now!" Shalimar shouted her brown eyes started to fill up with hot tears as she looked at Jesse's still body on the bedroom floor.

"I am five minutes away from Doctor-"

Anger crept into her voice as Adam seemed not to understand. "Adam you need-"

"Shalimar listen to me." Adam said sharply in order to get through the emotional feral but continued in a softer manner. "I know you are worried but I can't do much there at Sanctuary. I am hoping that with Doctor Lewis we might be able to find what Jesse has, okay?"

"Okay." Her voice dropped so low that Brennan who was standing over her had trouble hearing her. Her best friend was in pain and there was nothing she could do to help him.

Adam spoke through the com-links after a pause, as if he was letting a moment for everyone to collect themselves. "Brennan can you run another scan and take a new blood sample and send the results to Lewis' office?"

"Sure." Brennan bent down and carefully collected Jesse into his arms and carried their brother to the lab.

Shalimar was still on the floor unable to follow Brennan; her eyes were glued to the spot where Jesse was just moments ago had no control of his powers. She shook her head trying to ease the images like an etch-a-sketch, as she slowly stood up and made her way to the lab. She arrived at the door as Brennan finished taking blood from the unconscious Jesse.

Once he started the scans, Brennan walked over to the door and placed a hand on her shoulder. "You okay?"

"I see him lying there and all I can see is him on the floor in pain. I've never seen him like that Brennan." Shalimar said on the verge of tears.

"I know." Jesse's sudden coughing cut Brennan off. His pain was heard though out the bal as each one shook his body. Shalimar started to cry, and turned to leave but Brennan pulled her close to him. It wasn't long till the coughing stopped but Jesse still did not wake up.

"Who," he voice broke "who would want to hurt Jesse?" Her brown eyes locked onto Brennan's. they darted back and forth looking for answers.

"A sick demented bastard." Brennan started to get angry at the people or person who did this. "You know I actually miss that white haired freak. I mean with Eckhart we at lest knew what his plans were."

They fell silent again when Jesse started to cough again. It scared Shalimar when he quickly sat up and grabbed his stomach in pain; he was going to heave. Brennan ran and grabbed one of the trash cans in the lab and gave it to Jesse before he made a mess. Shalimar went over to Jesse and did the only thing she could do and that was to comfort him. Now it was Brennan's turn to stand back and watch the scene with teary eyes. Oh how he prayed that Adam and his friend were doing better to find a cure, let alone the disease that was slowly killing Jesse.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

In a high rise building located in Downtown, a short skinny man dressed in a fine suite walked with quick short steps down a long hallway to two big oak doors at the very end. Opening them the man went straight to a small bar where he proceeded to make a scotch on the rocks. He would have loved to feel the fire of the scotch drip down his own throat. But he took the drink to a desk that seemed to take a whole wall of the office, which was the size of a small fast food restaurant. The short man set the glass on the dark wood and started to back away. A squeak from an over sized desk chair caused the man to almost throw himself at the desk as he took the cup and placed it on a granite coaster a few feet from the small sweat ring the glass left on the wood. His suit jacket arm wiped the perspiration from the desk as he quickly backed away.

"Are you sure about this sir?"

"Of course I am." The back of the chair spun around reviling a man in his mid thirties. He was well built with dark black hair, a smile crept on the man's face one that sent a shiver down the short assistant's spine. "The young Kilmartin powers will be his undoing." The man took a drink of his scotch before looking at the man.

"But is this whole thing necessary, I mean with him and his dad—"

The glass slammed on the desk making the assistant jump. The smile was gone from his boss' face as hate poured from every pore instead. "This is payback! I'm going to make Kilmartin suffer for what he did! What better way than to have him and his father die slow and anguishing deaths!"

"But uh, sir what's the point killing um, his, um father if, I mean where's the pleasure of his father dying if he, um doesn't know?"

"Because I'll know their dead!" The hate was hidden away with a smile too calm for a man who seconds ago was ragging with unnatural amount of hate. The man reached towards a pine box on the right side of the desk and pulled out a cigar. He cut the end of it off before putting it in his mouth and lighting it up. He took a few puffs before letting out a huge cloud of smoke. "Trust me, Kilmartin will soon find out about his father."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Brennan was heading to the kitchen to get some coffee for him and Shalimar and more water for Jesse, when he heard the faint nose of a cell phone. He followed the sound to Jesse's room where he found the phone on his desk covered by random papers. He looked at the call screen to see that the number was blocked. Not knowing who could be calling, Brennan decided not to answer it. Setting the pone on the desk he turned to leave until a beep from the phone stopped him. He looked back at the phone to see at text message pop up. Getting the best of him, Brennan's curiosity got him to read the message.

"_2 killed. 3 must die. Sad 2 hear she died peacefully yrs ago. Guess I have 2 live w/ a father son killing. U will suffer 4 what u did!" _Brennan was shocked to read the text message, so its revenge agents Jesse. But who were these '2 killed'? However that's not what set off the alarm in his mind, it was the found knowledge that whoever this person is, their planning to kill Jesse's father as well. Forgetting about the drinks Brennan went straight to the lab, but not before getting another message saying, _"Have a nice family reunion in hell."_

Brennan sprinted to the lab, "Shalimar!" He turned the corner only to run into the feral.

"What's the matter?" Her eyes wide with worry.

"Our bad guy sent Jesse a text." He handed the phone to her, "Not only are they after Jesse but Noah as well."

"Someone is blaming Jesse for killing two people? But I can't think of anyone he's killed, that's not Jesse." She looked up at Brennan after looking at the phone.

"What I'm wondering about is who this 'she' is."

Shalimar read the text message again before it came to her. "His mother; I think this person thinks that Jesse killed their parents for what other reason would they want to kill Jesse's dad."

"Have the computers find anything on Danielson?" He asked taking the phone back from Shalimar.

"Nothing, I don't think he'll be any help. Have you called Adam yet?"

"No, not-"

"Shal?" Jesse's voice barely made it to the doorway to the lab.

"What is it Jesse?" She asked with a soothing voice as she walked over to him.

"Can you get me some blankets; it's really cold in here." Jesse was still only in his jeans laying on that stiff chair it was reclined back to give some comfort but it wasn't helping.

"Sure." Shalimar said as she walked out ready to cry, it was a nice seventy three degrees.

When she was out of the lab Jesse turned his gaze over to Brennan, "So did this text message give any clue to who this bastard is?"

"Nope," Brennan moved closer to Jesse, "Not unless you killed two people with out telling us." He tried to joke.

"I can't think of anybody." He paused as he coughed a couple of time. When he spoke again his voice was broken. "So I'm going to die with no real reason and I'm taking my dad with--" Suddenly Jesse's face drained of whatever color he had left.

"Jesse?" Brennan thought that he was going to throw up again. But fear and panic washed over him when he saw Jesse's crimson mass form though the phasing of his body.

"Help." Jesse forced out with a mighty plea as he curled into a ball on the chair. His arms wrapped around his sides like a boa killing it's pray. Jesse let out a painful scream as tears started to flow down his face.

"I, I don't know what to do." Brennan was dumbfounded. He had never seen Jesse in this state before or in so much pain that he froze with his own panic. His best friend, his brother was asking- pleading for him to stop this pain that over took his body. But seeing the tears that fell from Jesse's face broke Brennan's heart like never before. Seeing a man in pain from torture is one thing, but seeing a brother in tears from it was a whole different story. And for once in his life Brennan could not help him.

"Hit, me with an, electric--" Jesse said in between breaths, but the pain surged though his body cutting Jesse off with another cry of pain.

Brennan realized what he was asking and there was no way he could inflict more pain on him. "I can't do that."

"Please Brennan, like Twin Creeks--" Brennan uneasily created a ball of electricity in his hands. Looking at Jesse's pleading tear stained face once more, he shot the blue bolts at him. Once the electricity left his fingers Jesse passed out and the pain stopped.

"Brennan what the hell did you do that?" Shalimar demanded when she saw the last of the blue bolts hit Jesse's body. Brennan turned to see Shalimar walk up to him with a couple of blankets in her arms.

"He told me to Shal, he was phasing and massing, he was in so much pain. He told me to do it, what was I supposed to do?" Brennan told her with panic and sorrow in his voice.

Shalimar draped the blankets over Jesse's curled up form before her hand moved up to his forehead, brushing away the sweat soaked hair from his face. "I don't know."


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter Four**

"**Failure is not the worst thing in the world. The very worst thing not to try."**

**-Anonymous**

"This is hopeless." Adam threw himself back into the seat of his chair, his hands instantly moving to the top of his head as his fingers dug deep in his dark curly hair. They had been working for four hours straight and every time they would run a search the computers would slap them in their faces with no results. Emma and Doctor Lewis were at computers right next to Adam and they were startled by how easy Adam seemed to throw in the towel. "I can't find anything that is even close to the chemical that is making Jesse sick."

"We just can't give up," Emma practically jumped out of her seat to get closer to Adam as if she was trying to prove her point. "Jesse is counting on us. We can't let him--"

"I know what is at stake Emma." Adam didn't need her to keep reminding him that Jesse's life is on the line. But he couldn't help but feel like there isn't anything he could do to save him.

"But there has to be a cure." Her voice rose higher at the faces of defeat around her.

"We need a disease before we can come up with a cure. And at this point we have nothing." Doctor Lewis grimly pointed out to Emma.

Emma bit her lip as part of her didn't want to ask the next question. "How much longer do we have until Jesse…?" She couldn't bring herself to finish her sentence.

"Four maybe five hours." Adam stated bluntly, already building up callous to the brutal facts. Emma sensed the wall that was beginning to encompass the man which held her hopes. Although, she reckoned she understood why Adam was becoming less personal it was for an altogether more complicated matter. Adam had dealt with this scenario before, one that had ended in failure.

"Adam," Brennan's voice cut thought the thick silence of tension via Adam's ring "we got another problem."

Adam let out a laugh that was formed from the never ending problems that kept getting thrown their way. "What is it now?"

"Our attacker sent us a text message he is blaming Jesse for killing two people. Shalimar believes that he thinks Jesse killed his parents."

"What caused her to come to that conclusion?"

"Seeing how in the text message also said he was planning on killing Noah."

"Okay Brennan, go find Noah and bring him back to Sanctuary. Let's hope that they haven't gotten to him yet. Have Shalimar start back tracing the message to the sender."

"We're already on it." Brennan paused briefly as he took a deep breath, and when he spoke again his voice was lower. "Have you got any closer on finding a cure?"

"We are working as hard as we can." Adam tried to sound hopeful, but to Brennan it sounded like a doctor who tells a family that there isn't anymore that they can do.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Brennan slowly walked back into the lab, but just stopped shy of the door. He just looked though the glass at the scene in front of him. Shalimar was sitting in a chair right by the reclined light blue one that held Jesse's still body. Although he wasn't the leader of Mutant X he always, even from the very beginning, felt that he had to take care of everyone. Being that big brother who was always around to make sure nothing happened to his younger siblings. And at this moment he knew he failed. He wasn't there to protect Jesse from the attacker in the alley that poisoned him, and now is unable to save him from that poison.

Unable to step foot in the lab anymore, he tapped on the glass just loud enough for Shalimar to hear. She turned her head quickly as a reflex but relaxed when she saw Brennan. Looking back at Jesse once more, she got up and headed to the door.

"I'm going to find Noah and bring him back here." Brennan said softly. "Adam wants you to try and back trace that message."

"Okay. Are they having any luck?" Her brown eyes were wide trying to look deep at Brennan as trying to search for good news.

Oh how Brennan wanted to tell her yes, but he just couldn't lie to her giving her false hope. Though after a pause he decided just to repeat Adam's own words "They're working as hard as they could." His heart broke when Shalimar's head fell down with closed eyes as she understood what that meant. He fought the urge to grab her into a hug and to tell her that Jesse will be alright, but his hand barely glazed her shoulder before he turned and walked away.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Jesse slowly started to wake up after the painful abuse that his powers inflicted on him. Part of him wished that had could just stay in the darkness of unconsciousness that way he wouldn't feel all the pain. Yet though the screaming muscles the pounding headache and the fire coursing though his veins, he felt a cool comforting feeling that started on his forehead and slowly moved down his cheek to the back of his neck. He carefully opened his eyes and saw Shalimar with a damp cloth in her hand wiping the feverish sweat from his face.

Shalimar stopped her movements when she saw his blue eyes starting up at her. She smiled at him but they both knew it was forced. "Hey Jesse," she said softly, but even though it was just a whisper she saw the pain on his face, "How are you holding up?"

Jesse opened his mouth to talk but all that came out was a broken rasp, his voice blocked by the phlegm in his lungs. His body naturally started to clear it causing him to cough it up. He would gladly like to keep it in his lungs instead of all the pain that came with clearing the muses. The muscles in his chest burned with fire and each cough was like a sledge hammer to his head. Shalimar helped him sit up and held the cold cloth on his forehead. His stomach muscles, so over worked stated to force its contents up which was nothing but water. So he now was leaning over the chair, tears running down his face coughing and dry heaving.

About five minutes later his body stopped the painful coughing as it had no energy left. He slowly took a small sip of water before falling back into the reclined chair. "I don't know how much more I can take, Shal." His voice was broken as raspy.

"Don't say that Jess, you are one of the strongest people I know." Shalimar used the cloth and wiped the tears that fell down his cheek, "Adam is probably creating the antivirus as we speak."

"We both know that's not the true." The lab became quite as Shalimar didn't know how to respond to that. She wanted to be strong for him, and not let him lose hope but as the hours past bye it was becoming harder to do so. "I, I don't think I'll live though this."

"Jesse Kilmartin, don't you dare say that. You are not going to die." Shalimar said louder causing him to cringe in pain, but she didn't care he needed to hear this loud and clear. "Adam is going to come though and you're going to live."

"Shal, do yourself a favor, start letting me go. The sooner you accept that I'm dying the better it will be for everyone."

"No." Tears started to slide down her tanned face. "I'm not going to give up on you."

"Well, you should."


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter Five**

"**I imagine one of the reasons people cling to their hate so stubbornly is because they sense once hate is gone, they will be forced to deal with the pain."**

**-James Arthur Baldwin**

It was forty five minutes later, when Brennan came back to Sanctuary with Noah Kilmartin. He was already showing symptoms of the flu, Noah at first thought nothing of it, but when Brennan had come to get him and was told the whole story he was afraid, not for him, but for his son. And when the two of them walked into the lab, Noah was broken hearted to see his son in such a painful state. However before father and son could say anything to each other, Shalimar busted into the lab with the biggest smile on her face.

"I found him!" She shouted even though she wanted to add 'I told you so' it wasn't over yet. She barely even noticed Noah, standing off to the side she was to happy that this whole thing was coming to an end.

"Where?" Jesse said quietly.

"Sky rise building located in Downtown."

"Lets go." He tried to get up but was stopped by Brennan and surprising by his father.

"Where do you think your going?" Brennan asked with a smile.

"To meet this bastard." Jesse said getting frustrated, he didn't see the humor behind his actions.

"You are in no condition to be going anywhere." Noah spoke up for the first time.

"Think about it, by the time you get there, force him to give you the cure and fly all the way back here it will be too late. So I am coming and I'm going to confront Taylor, alone." There was a long pause as everyone was thinking how this was going to be the final showdown and that most likely someone would not make it out. Jesse looked over at Brennan knowing he would be the one to okay it and he saw the wheels turning in the elementals head, weighing out the options. "Either you let me come with your, or I'll get there by myself. Though I really don't feel like driving."

"Fine, but you are only going to get five minutes with him before we bust in there."

"Deal." With help from his father and Brennan, Jesse slowly got up from the chair. The movements caused his world to spin but he tired to act alright. If anyone saw him sway or how his face wrinkled due from pain that was caused by each step no one said anything.

It took them longer than anybody wanted to get to the office building. It was past office hours but for them, the lights to Taylor's office were all on indicating he was still there. All four of them walked down the hallway and stopped a few feet from the two oak doors.

"Are you sure about this Jess, you can barely stand on your own." Shalimar asked in hoping that he would change his mind in going alone.

"Yes Shal." There was an edge in his voice on the repeated pointing out how he was nearing death.

"If your not back in five minutes, we're coming in." Brennan reminded him one last time. Jesse gave a short nod before he slowly walked into the office.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

"How much longer do you think they have?" Taylor's assistant asked as he stood behind his boss.

"Kilmartin has a hour if he's lucky, while his father another five before slipping into a coma." Taylor said as he stared out the paramecia window at the city night lights. "He has a much peaceful death, unlike his son. I just wish that I could see him take his last painful breaths."

"You just might get your wish." The two men spun around at the sound of a third voice. There they saw Jesse near the closed doors. Taylor's assistant scurried to the nearest corner to get out of the way of the two men.

A smile appeared on Taylor's face. "Ah, Jesse Kilmartin. How wonderful for you to stop by."

"Where is it?" Jesse straight up demanded.

"Where is what?" Taylor played dumb.

"The antivirus. Where is it?"

The smile faded as his eyes buried with anger. "Why would I give it to you! You murdered my father and you have the nerve to crawl here and demand it!"

"I want if for my dad, not for me."

"And why would I do that?"

"Because your quail is with me, not him."

"You are precisely correct. It is with you and you get to die knowing your actions to me killed your father."

"I didn't do anything--"

"Wrong! You murdered my father! A great and loyal soldier"

"Your father killed himself."

"Liar!"

"He used me, put millions of lives at risk." Taylor started pashing like a caged tiger. Each word from Jesse brought him closer to the edge. "H was killed by a laser defense weapon that he killed soldiers for."

"Do you think that I would believe you. He never did anything wrong."

"I know how you feel--"

"You'll be dead before you could ever--"

"Its hard to believe when you are told that your dad has done something terrible. Why would it be true, his your dad. Then you find out the hard way, that what they told you was true that your father was using you all along to blackmail a corporation--"

"Shut Up!" Taylor pulled out a gun from his desk drawer and pointed it at Jesse's head. "My father is dead and you killed him! And now I'm just returning the favor." He cocked the gun but before he could squished the trigger, Taylor's body was suddenly covered in blue electricity. The bolts didn't die down until Taylor was on the floor.

Jesse turned to see everyone by the door including Adam and Emma. Yet before anyone could say anything or move pain shot through Jesse's whole body as his powers began their vicious assault on the young mutant. Adam Emma and Noah were all frozen in the sight that was before them. Brennan and Shalimar dashed to Jesse's side before he could collapse onto the floor. Emma was brought to tears at the strong amount of pain that Jesse radiated. As Brennan and Shalimar slowly eased Jesse onto the floor the three on lookers snapped out of their shock and ran over to Jesse. Emma immediately sent Jesse an telekinetic blast to try and stop the attack. Everyone seemed to let out a breath when the phasing and massing stopped. But that did not last long, parts of his body began to phase and mass, however Jesse didn't care it was not as painful as before and he could breathe a bit.

"I'm sorry dad it's my fault." Jesse gasped between breaths of air. "I couldn't make him see--" sharp pain forced Jesse to stop talking.

Suddenly Taylor's assistant appeared with a vile that had an orange liquid. "Here, here is the antivirus Taylor had one created."

"Just one?" Adam spoke up as he took the vile from him. "Dose he have any files on--"

"No he destroyed them all so nothing could be tied back to him just in case. However I don't know if it will work on him." He said pointing to Jesse "He might be too far gone."

"Dad you take it." Jesse said.

"No, I don't deserve it."

"No one should die Noah." Shalimar spoke up, even though she couldn't believe that Jesse didn't want to save himself. Tears threaten to fall that he was giving up his life for a man that wasn't really part of his adult life. Yet that was the kind of person Jesse was. "Maybe we can split the dosage?"

"It has to be all of it." The assistant told.

"This was my fault."

"Jesse I can't live my life knowing I'm alive because I let my son die. I've done things in my life that I am not proud of and most of that are things I've done to you. I can't let you save me, you have no right or duty to do so."

"Dad…" Jesse whispered though painful waves as hot tears streamed down his face.

"I'm very proud of you Jesse. Good-bye my son, I always loved you." Noah grabbed the syringed from Adam and stuck the needle into his son's arm. Just as the last amount of liquid entered his vein, Jesse's body became covered in the red glowing massed formed. Jesse let out a painful cry before it disappeared and Jesse's body laid on the office floor unmoving.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter Six**

**"You'll get over it...' It's the clichés that cause the trouble. To lose someone you love is to alter your life forever. You don't get over it because 'it' is the person you loved. The pain stops, there are new people, but the gap never closes. How could it? The particular ness of someone who mattered enough to grieve over is not made anodyne by death. This hole in my heart is the shape of you and no one else can fit. Why would I want them to?"  
-Anonymous**

It was a cold afternoon; the grey skies were filled with darker storm clouds pregnant with rain that was on the verge of falling down to the earth. There was a slight wind that disturbed the grass on small hill and shook the petals off bouquets of flowers that were scattered across the hill. Near the top of the slop, cheep plastic white chairs were lined up in four rows facing where the sun would have been. People in black suits or dresses occupied those chairs all with tears on their face or wrinkles of sorrow. There were more people standing in the back of the chairs or besides them, being no more room to sit. In the front of the chairs there were large wreaths of flowers on a stand, many different sizes and colors were stretch on either side of a dark casket. On top of the long box was a blanket of red roses and white lilies.

Seated in the first row as a man, who sat in a sea of crying people did not have a tear of his own coming down his face. A face aged by sickness and lack of sleep. Clear blue eyes were now frames with red and clouded by thought. The pastor was speaking about life after death and all that spiritual stuff, yet that didn't help him with his pain of losing a love one in a quick yet at the same time, slow and painful death. No, not a death a murder. Murder for something he wasn't even involved with. His gut turned, he shouldn't be here, he should be the one in that coffin, and because of that he felt like the murderer. No one on the face of the earth could tell him different, he murdered his father.

Jesse Kilmartin sat unmoving. _'Damn you dad!'_ He shouted in his mind. _'You should have taken it! Not me, not me'_ His body had pulled itself into a light coma, trying to heal itself from the effects of the drug. When he woke up three days later he was greeted with the news that his father died twelve hours after the day at Taylor's office. So now he sat at his father's funeral. If the people around him how Noah died, they would probably throw him out the cemetery and their lives. The pastor started to read a eulogy that some family member had written and that's when it hit him. Memories from his childhood flew past his eyes of all the fun times they had together and his eyes burned that they were never going to happen again. But what struck him was the pain of never making amends with him for all the hurtful things Noah did to him. He never got the chance to forgive him; yet another guilt that would be with him the rest of his life.

Suddenly his cheek felt wet, he looked up to the sky as if it came from the clouds. Then he felt some thing running down his other cheek. He brought his hand up to feel a silent tear drop. They started to fall from his eyes with every blink. No he couldn't cry, he just couldn't. but his heart wasn't listing to his bran, it was broken-he was broken. Jesse stood up abruptly causing the pastor to stop momentarily as all eyes went to Jesse. But he didn't noticed, he just moved past the chairs and quickly started down the hill. Not knowing that his actions caused more tears to fall from the surrounding people as they felt sorry for the now fatherless child. They thought that they knew how he must felt, but they weren't even close.

Jesse stocked down the hill trying to wipe away the oncoming tears, but as each one was dried off with the back of his hand another tear replaced it. So many thoughts and emotions fought each other inside him that Jesse became numb to everything in and around him. He didn't even noticed four people standing around a car at the bottom of the hill until he was at the edge of the grass. Shalimar was the first to move, but remained silent as she walked up to Jesse and pulled him into a hug. He fought fro a moment until he finally gave into the warm embrace the held him and cried like a lost child. Emma moved to the two of them and wrapped her arms around Jesse as well, while Brennan and Adam put their hand on his back. The four other members all had misty eyes, for they have never seen one of their own in so much pain and sadness in such a short amount of time before.

As Jesse felt the other surround him, he cried even more. But this time it wasn't from lost or guilt, but from the love and support that the others were giving him. No words needed to be said, the hands on his back and the arms around him said it all. Jesse had a family and these four people were them, and they were never going to leave him.

It was five minutes later when the tears stopped flowing and everyone slowly separated. They walked to the car and just as they got in, the storm clouds gave birth to a blanket of rain that spilt down upon the ground. The panging sound of the rain drops hitting the car was the only sound as they drove away. Jesse looked out the back seat window just as they past by another group of people dressed in black, continuing with a funeral as if it was not raining. Jesse caught a glimpse of a portrait that stood next to the casket. The face stared at him as the drove away and even from a one dimension picture; the dark eyes of Taylor Gaumont would always haunt him.

**"Pain is never permanent."  
-St. Teresa of Avila**

"**While seeking revenge, dig two graves-one for yourself."**

**-Doug Horton**

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**A/N: Thank you everyone who read and reviewed and like my story. I am finally happy with the story and I can finally put this one to rest and go back to my other older stories and re-amp them...and contunie with my new ones and not have to worry about this one....but yeah thanks again.**


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